Quote: Templer wrote in post #17I don't know what this is, a Thornycroft, Bovington tank museum.

Good one that is Templer. Trawled through all my books and couldn't find any info about it. Though I did find a little info on thr net.It's refered to as a short wheelbase Bison or the "Mobile Pillbox" it's a generic name for a series of vehicles of it's type made with a concrete body on various vehicle chassisIt was used by the RAF and the Home Guard for the protection of airfields from early 1940 through to the end of 1941 when the idea was scrapped.

And a really odd collection used by the Australian and South African armies for checking the railway lines for mines and the rapid evacuation of the wounded. It had a detachable metal rim that fitted around the tyre to allow it to run on tracks. Not too sure of it's success but it certainly had novelty value.

The Army started using cycles as early as 1882 and by 1908 selected territorial and yeomanry units were grouped together as cycle units. In 1915 these units became attached to the Regular Army units and the Army Cyclist Corps was formed. (Most major cycle manufacurers produced cycles purpose built for the army and this remained the case until 1953)These units remained as territorial units and by 1922 they were seen as useless and outdated so the Corps was disbanded. The cycle however was to remain as a form of local transport on Army and Airforce bases, Naval Stations and Dockyards for many years after. The Royal Navy being the last to use the cycle. Finally decommissioning the last service bike in 2010.